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Tom Watson: Labour would back an England-led bid to host the World Cup in 2030

Tom Watson (Jeff Overs/PA) Photo: Press Association Images

Labour would back an England-led bid to host the World Cup in 2030, the party’s deputy leader has said.

Tom Watson said Labour supported putting a bid together for 2030 to celebrate the centenary of the World Cup football tournament.

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Speaking on Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday, Mr Watson said: “I’ve been driving my kids crazy because I am old enough to remember Italia 90 when we got through to the semi-finals and the country was alive.

“After a very difficult year, seeing the country united these last few weeks has been fantastic – and it seems to me you look at Premier League football, which is the best in the world, you look at our lower league football – which is really well run, the Football Foundation has made investments in grassroots football.

“It’s the national game, it can bring the country together, it can give us hope.

“We were disappointed in 2018 when we did the World Cup bid, it seems to me that we should be bidding for the World Cup 2030.

“That’s a few years off and we don’t know who’s going to be in government in a few years’ time. If we’re in government, I hope it’s one of the first things a Labour government does, which is work with our FA to try and put a World Cup bid together.

“If the Conservatives are still in government, then we’d like to work with them to make sure that a bid is successful.”

Mr Watson said that he “just wanted England to win”, adding: “I’m not that bothered about the final to be honest with you.”

He later tweeted: “I have today announced Labour’s support for an England-led bid for the 2030 World Cup. Where better to celebrate the centenary of the World Cup than in the nation where football was born.”